


Throne of Light

by Kellerella



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:47:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26124460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kellerella/pseuds/Kellerella
Summary: "Once upon a time, in a kingdom long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom… very much." This is that story. From her birth to the final days before the destruction of Terrasen, this short novella covers the are few key points in Aelin’s life in Orynth. Read about her having fun moments with Aedion, a special moment with her Mother, the discovery of her magic, and more. Currently being planned as only ten chapters, but if there is enough interest I might write a few more.
Relationships: Evalin Ashryver Galathynius/Rhoe Galathynius
Comments: 16
Kudos: 26





	1. The Princess is Born

_Once Upon a Time, in a kingdom long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom… very much._

**_The Princess is Born_ **

Pacing from one side of the drawing-room to another, Rhoe listened to the screams of his wife, Evalin, a few rooms down. She had gone into early labor, the child within impatient to leave the safety of her mother and take on the world. Quinn, a friend of the family, and in training to become the new head of the King's Royal Guard, sat with them for support. Rhoe's Uncle Orlon sat in one of the chairs, reading a book on the ancient languages.

Or at least Orlon was trying to read. He was having trouble concentrating with the knowledge of the danger two of his family were in.

Evalin came to Terrasen six years ago, and fell in love with Rhoe, the Crown Prince, at first sight. After two years of convincing her family to bless the marriage, Rhoe and Evalin married. With Evalin's fae ancestry leaving her susceptible to childbearing troubles, the young couple immediately began trying to produce an heir. They were forced to resort to magic. It took an immense amount of power over the past seven months to prevent the child from miscarrying. The best healers on the continent, trained at the Torre Cesme, were asked to preside. Now at thirty- four weeks, the child was about to be born.

"I cannot take this for much more of this," Rhoe breathed. Evalin had been in labor for over a day now.

"It shouldn't be long now," said Orlon, "the woman who came out said the child was crowning. It goes by much quicker after that."

Sure enough, no more than five minutes later, the whole world seemed to go silent, and just as Rhoe thought the silence would never end, a soft wail could be heard from the next room.

Quinn jumped from his chair to hug and congratulate Rhoe. The new father himself stood as if frozen, watching the door, as he listened to the cry of his child and to the footsteps coming down the hall. The scurrying sound could be heard down the hall, as the mother and new child were cleaned and checked for abnormalities. Eventually, the wailing quieted, and the men eagerly awaited information. 

The door soon opened to emit one of the many tired women who attended the birth. When she saw the inhabitants of the room, she curtsied. Orlon stood and said, "Rise," as he smiled, "and deliver the news."

"As you wish, My King," said the woman as she stood. "Though it was a difficult birth, both mother and child are well. Her Highness asked me to not reveal the gender, for she wished to tell you herself. She is ready for you to visit."

The men filed out of the room and walked down the hall. Upon reaching the bed-chamber, they entered to see Evalin leaning against the headboard and surrounded by pillows as people fussed around her. Rhoe rushed forward and saw that his wife was holding a bundle of light green silk, with a small, pink nose sticking out.

Rhoe sank down onto the bed and wrapped his arms around his wife as he peered down at his child. Two eyes ringed with gold stared back up at them: Ashryver-eyes, his wife's eyes. The child had his nose, but her dainty lips and cheekbones. He knew before she said it. This precious person was his daughter, a girl, a princess, and a future queen.

"Aelin, Princess Aelin Ashryver Galathynius of Terrasen."

The new family was entirely focussed on each other. However, should they have looked to glass doors that had been opened to air out the room, the gauzy curtains swaying as the cold mountain carried the scent of pine to the young child, they would have seen the night sky filled with stars. Framed perfectly by the doorway, the stag constellation shone brightly as it welcomed the new child. 


	2. Chapter 2: Legends

**_Legends, Age 3 ¾_ **

"Wake up, sweetheart." Aelin opened her eyes to see her father looming over her. She was almost four now and knew what to expect when her father woke her up in the middle of the night. A smile bloomed across her face.

Aelin jumped out of bed and ran to her closet. There she put on a pair of shoes and grabbed a woolen cloak. It might have been late spring, but the temperature still drooped dramatically at night in the northern region.

She ran to meet her father at the door, where he took his hand in hers. These nights were her favorite times.

For an hour or so, all formalities dropped. Aelin's father, mother, and uncle were just her family sharing their knowledge and joy of their country with her. No guards. No fancy dresses to worry about ruining. No nobility watching their every move. It was pure bliss.

As they climbed the steps to the top of the tower, Aelin heard the voices of her mother and uncle talking. For once, they were not discussing business or politics, but people. Uncle was telling Mama a story about how Aelin's father was like when he was a child. It always made Aelin laugh to think of her family being as young as she was. They each had different qualities that made them seem as if they had never been small.

As she and Father went around the stairs' curve, Uncle smiled, and Mama bent down and held out her arms. Aelin ran into them. Her mother was always warm and smelled of orchids and water.

"Good morning, my beautiful girl," Mama breathed. "I hoped you slept enough." Aelin had, gratefully. She had asked her maid to tell her whenever one of the blackouts scheduled to know when to go to bed early.

In most places in cities in Terrasen, there was a city-wide blackout once a month, depending on when it was deemed "appropriate." This was the one night a month that you would have a few hours to look up at the sky and see the stars no matter where you were. The blackout was not enforced, of course. Everyone just followed it anyway, if not for the fact that they wanted to see the stars themselves, then out of consideration for their neighbors who did.

On these days, it was a Galathynius tradition to gather on the last floor of the highest tower in the castle and listen to the old legends' telling. They drank hot chocolate and watched the stars shine in the sky until they faded into a beautiful sunrise.

As her mother put her down, Aelin ran over to hug her Uncle Orlon. He kissed her on the cheek, and then she turned to her cousin. Aedion sat on the edge of the tower roof, frowning. When he saw her looking at him, he jumped off the edge and came to stand by her. The young princess leaned into him, feeling his warmth surrounding her. She was already cold.

As they all settled down on blankets laid on the floor, her uncle smiled and began to speak.

"Once, long ago, there was a young man named Brannon. He was beloved by Mala the Light Bringer and thus given the power to control the element of fire. His power was so great that he was able to call on it with the barest of thought. No one had ever seen the likes of it before, or since… "

And he continued on. He told of Brannon in the Valg Wars, Brannon becoming king of the great nation of Terrasen, of his love for his daughter, and many of the other legends of the prestigious Galathynius family, Brannon's descendants. It was the story of them—the true one.

The young girl looked up to the stag in the sky and let out a contented sigh.


	3. Etiquette Lessons

**_Etiquette, Age 5 ½_ **

Aelin sat in her chair with her back pressed up against the chair. Mistress Prewette stood watching her as she tried to keep herself from squirming. She had to manage to sit still with perfect posture for five minutes. There could be no sound coming from her. No laughing, talking, or even clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

She hated her etiquette lessons with everything she had. One day she overheard someone use the term "bane of my existence". When her reading tutor later answered her question about the meaning, she decided that the expression suited how she felt about etiquette lessons perfectly.

It wasn't that they were painful by any means. Even now, Aelin might have been uncomfortable, but she wasn't hurt. She knew that if her parents thought that any of her tutors were using any extreme physical measures to teach her, they would be furious. It was just that the lessons were so dull. Learning to sit still, speak nicely, and act appropriately was hard for her. She hated to sit still, was sharp-tongued, and stubborn about doing what she wanted.

Aelin much preferred her other lessons.

Reading and writing were her favorites. Her tutor, Mistress Sibyl, always understood when she stumbled over a word and gave her a piece of chocolate at the end of the lesson. And she loved each new story she was given, even if she still preferred that someone deliver them orally to her. 

Numbers were made bearable by Master Stein, who always found a fun new way to add and subtract different things. One day it was pieces of candy; the next was horses out in the stables. One day they even went and sat on the balcony overlooking her uncle's court and counted how many nobles had their noses in the air.

Even the dancing wasn't so bad. Mistress Prewett also taught that, and her partner was always her cousin Aedion. Aelin loved to dance, and it was always great fun to watch Aedion step all over himself. Dancing was one thing that Aelin was better at than him.

Finally, the small mechanical device on the table in front of her rang out, sharp and clear. Mistress Prewette smiled, and Aelin knew that she had passed the test.

"Congratulations, Princess, you actually survived not being constantly in motion," said Mistress Prewett. "I was starting to doubt you there at the end".

"Thank the Gods," Aelin muttered as she jumped out of her chair. She had started to think her head might explode. Mistress Prewette came over to help her push the chair out of the way. Aedion, who had been sitting in the corner making faces at her, stood up and laughed.

"Don't know how you did it," he laughed.

"How could I not," Aelin laughed as well, "when you were trying your hardest to make sure I failed?"

Mistress Prewette sent a disapproving frown his way, just now realizing that Aedion had been making faces behind her back. Aedion just laughed and said, "Careful cousin, your stubbornness is showing. Besides, at least you now know you can perform under pressure. That's important. Is that not so, Mistress?"

"Yes, that is important, but we still should not try to sabotage each other," but Aelin was straightening her skirts, and Aedion was stealing one of the leftover treats from the table. Giving up on admonishing them, Mistress Prewette rolled her eyes and told them they were dismissed. 

With that, the two children took off running for the back gardens. Where only the royal family was allowed, so they could do, act, and say whatever they wanted.

And most importantly, just be children.


	4. Night Adventures

**_Night Adventures_ **

"We're going to get in trouble," Aedion told his young cousin.

"Possibly," Aelin whispered back, "but I'll also get in trouble if I have to tell Uncle that I left the book, he let me borrow in the field."

"He won't be upset."

" _ He  _ won't.  _ But my mother  _ will", Aelin parried. "And stop complaining. It's your fault. I left it, and you didn't have to come."

"It was not my fault. And I did have to come with you because if you get hurt or lost, no one would believe that I didn't know that you planned to sneak out", Aedion murmured back. The young princess rolled her eyes at her cousin.

The two cousins continued to slip through the pathways within the walls. They had discovered the secret passages a few months ago after Aelin read one of her ancestor's old journals. The past king had mentioned them. There had been an attack on the palace. He used them to slip out of the castle, come up behind the assailants with them being none the wiser.

Aelin had left another one of those journals that day in a field they often visited on picnics. It was within a few miles of the palace in the forest, so it was allowed as long as they had at least two guards. After she finished eating, Aelin had taken out the journal and began to read. Aedion had eventually grown bored watching her and started throwing pieces of grass to get her attention. Her temper was provoked, and she grabbed one of the leftover rolls and threw it at him. And thus, the battle had begun. When they finally were finished, the book lay forgotten by the tree she was leaning on, and she failed to pick it up when she left. It wasn't until she had seen her uncle at the evening meal and he asked what she had thought of it so far that she remembered.

She told Aedion her plan to sneak out of the castle after lights out, if only because she wouldn't have been surprised if he snuck in her room tonight to check on her. He was five years older but often acted like he was eighty the way he always worried about her. Honestly, she could survive through the night without his help.

They reached the end of the passage. Aelin felt for the latch that allowed a section of the wall to slide up. They then ascended a stairway, which at the end of was a wooden board. Aelin stood back while Aedion pushed on the board. Dirt rained down on him, and Aelin couldn't help but laugh as it coated his clothes. He tossed her a dark look, and she smirked back at him.

They climbed out of the hole and put the latch down. The cousins would worry about covering it up later.

They were only about twenty yards away from the field where the book was left. As they started walking, Aelin couldn't help but notice how different this part of the woods was at night. The trees that always seemed to welcome her to climb on or lean against now look… foreboding. The only thing that kept her feet moving forward was pure stubbornness, and the stars shining above her as she used them to guide the direction she walked. They came upon the clearing, Aelin ran to the tree and grabbed the book that was resting on its roots,

"There. You have your book. Now let's go before your parents realize that they can't hear you snoring", Aedion said.

"I do  _ not  _ snore!"

"Yes, you do."

"Do not".

"Do too".

"Do not".

"Do…" Suddenly, the two cousins heard a scream that was more animal than human.

"What do you suppose that was?" Aelin asked.

"I have no idea. Let's go back before we do know…" but it was too late. Aelin had taken off toward the sound. Aedion cast his eyes heavenward, whistled to the men that had been following them without the princesses' knowledge, and then ran after her.

As the princess ran, she began to see the shape of something lying on the ground. As she came upon it, she noticed that it was a bear with its stomach…torn open. And… she felt a breath on the back of her neck.

She slowly turned around to see the Beast standing over her. Easily as tall as a horse, but standing on two legs, with grey skin that clung tightly to sharp bones. From its narrow fingers grew long pointed nails. As Aelin tilted her head up and up, she came to its face, with red slitted eyes, a large circular mouth with sharp teeth, and only two holes to indicate a nose, Aelin concluded that this was the most terrifying thing she had ever seen. 

With a grown, the Beast drew its hand back to slash at her, but the movement was never finished. First, there was then a blinding sensation of heat that came from her core and spread throughout her whole body. Second, a flash of blinding blue light singed her hair and skin. Then, nothing….


	5. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really short, so I posted early because I didn't really have anything I felt needed to be added.

**_The Aftermath_ **

"Absolutely not!" the three royals said in unison.

"But if it could help…"

"No, and that is final. We will decide what to do with this new development, but sending my niece away to Wendlyn is out of the question,", her Uncle Orlon said. 

Aelin knew that she was supposed to be upstairs "recovering". That was where everyone thought she was. But it was near impossible to sleep when she knew  _ she  _ was being discussed in another part of the palace. Even Aedion was allowed in the room, though he  _ was _ forbidden to say anything.

The debate had been going on for five days now, ever since the mishap in the forest. Aelin's memory of the incident was vague, a jumble of blurred images. The only thing that was clear to her was that she snuck out to retrieve her uncle's book, ran into some kind of… creature, and after a searing pain and a flash of blinding blue light, she lost consciousness. She woke up with Lady Marion sitting next to her bed.

Her mother came later to tell her that the flash of light had come from her. That she apparently had the fae gift of fire, a trait from the Galathynius side of her that hadn't been seen in years. Apparently, the combination of her mother and father's bloodline had caused the attribute to wake from dormancy. Along with the fire magic, she apparently could shift into the form of the fae, a power not even her mother had. Aelin had yet to see this happen, but apparently, the guards following her saw her shift when the magic first erupted from her to incinerate the Beast. 

She was still mad at Aedion for apparently knowing all along that they were being followed but didn't think to tell her. 

By the time they were able to get to her, she was unconscious and had already shifted back. As uncontrollable leaving as it was coming. 

Now, other children would not only hide from her because she would one day rule them, but because with the slightest upset, she could accidentally burn them. She did not want it, this magic. It was not a gift, but another burden for her to carry. 


	6. Fireheart

**_Fireheart, Age 6_ **

"How was your day, sweetheart?" her father said. The family sat around the dinner table. Before her father had spoken, they had been sitting in silence.

"It was boring and torturous" Aelin looked at her uncle and saw that his eyes were reminding her that she couldn't make a statement like that without evidence. Hence, she added, "Lady Marion tried to get me to eat fish for lunch, and then I ran out of books to read, and it was pure torture because she wouldn't let me go to the library to get another one."

"So what?" her cousin asked, "You probably just reread the one you finished, or read one the other hundreds of books you have hoarded in your room," Aelin stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't stick your tongue out at the table, Aelin. It's not polite to do that right now." Her father critiqued. He was smiling, though, so he wasn't really upset about it.

Her mother glared at her father. "It is not polite to stick your tongue out  _ at all _ , Rhoe. Do not encourage her. Mistress Prewette has enough trouble as it is, teaching her etiquette. You should not encourage her."

"She's still a child, Ev. She's still allowed to be improper sometimes."

"She is going to be queen someday. She needs to learn these things now. Besides, people are already watching her."

Her uncle finally broke in, "That is enough, you two. Let us move to the next subject." When her parents fell silent and looked chagrin slightly, Uncle Orlon turned his gaze to her and gave her a slight smile. 

"You know you can always borrow a book from mine or your parents' collection. Not requiring you to leave the royal apartment, I see no reason why Marion would take issue with that. And fish is not really that bad, young one. You just had a bad experience that one time…"

Aelin had stopped listening. Shooting through her veins was a familiar sense of dread. She did not want to be queen. She wasn't even four, and people were already worried about every move she made. Sometimes, she wished that she could fade away to someplace, where there was less pressure. Nothing was worse than being forced into ruling.

Her stomach began to ache and burn. The burning feeling began to flow through her veins until she could have sworn that she was on fire.

"Something's wrong!" her cousin's voice shattered through the room. Aelin tried to turn her neck enough to look at him, but it hurt too much. Her mouth filled with smoke, her teeth burned.  _ It needed to get out, needed to get out, needed to stop. _

And then she was pelted to the ground by water. It stung her skin, and she heard the sizzle of steam. It suffocated the fire burning in her and cooled her skin.

But it did not last, and her body began to reheat.

Cold hands touched her, and she smelled her mother's lavender perfume. She opened her eyes, and Evalin was peering down at her with concern, but her voice held no softness, only firm resolve when she spoke.

"You need to calm down. It will only get worse. Take a deep breath, and concentrate on something else. Anything else, as long as it's calming".

Aelin tried, she really tried to follow her mother's orders. But her skin was so hot!

Seeing her daughter struggling, Evalin tried a new tactic.

"Do you remember that time we held a concert in the ballroom? And how pretty the music was? What was that one song you really liked? That one that man played on the pianoforte? You went around humming it for days."

Her voice was hoarse, but she managed to choke out, "River flows in You."

"That's right. Let me see it went something like…." Her mother said before she began to hum the song. Listening to the melody, Aelin began to calm down. Slowly, she became more and more aware of her surroundings. Her clothes were soaking in some places and burned away in others. Sometime during her episode, she had toppled out of the chair, and scorch marks were surrounding her. Where her elbows he rested on the table, the wood was burned away. The room was clear of people besides her and her mother, but she could Aedion struggling to get back in. And her mother's dress was scorched from where she had brushed up against her.

Guilt tightened her stomach. "I'm so sorry I ruined your dress." Evalin looked down, just now noticing the marks, and she chuckled.

"Don't worry about it. It's a small price to pay for helping my Fireheart."

Furrowing her brow, Aelin asked, "Fireheart?"

"It's fitting, Evalin explained, "You've always had this burning passion in you. You care so deeply about so many things. Your stories, Terrasen, your family." Evalin stopped for a moment and noticed that her daughter had truly calmed down and was fully concentrating on what she was saying. "It's not your magic, but that passion that drives you. They light up your heart. Your love lights up your heart."

Aelin smiled. "I like that. Fireheart."

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this within days of Crown of Midnight. Rewriting this from a work I never finished on Fanfiction.net years ago. Since then, I have learned how to plan and outline. It's mostly finished, with only editing left. Will be trying to post a new chapter once a week until it is finished. Also, I wrote a better summary.  
> Feel free to talk to me on tumbr as well? It's not currently a thing but I will make it a thing if people are interested. I just posted the first chapter. https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kellerella


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